36509 is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 56% of adults in 36509 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36509, ~12% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36509 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36509 leans more Republican than 3 of 7 neighbors.
36509 runs about 25 points more Republican than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36509. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+69) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+44), a spread of about 25 points.
Why 36509 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 36509, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 8% of adults in 36509 hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points below the Alabama average of 20%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 87% of residents in 36509 drive to work alone, above 92% of zip codes.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a high uninsured rate tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 36509, AL does.
Why turnout in 36509 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36509 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 41%, about 13 points below the Alabama average of 54%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 32% of adults in 36509 report food insecurity, above 95% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 62% of adults in 36509 have completed high school, in the bottom fraction of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Alabama Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.